Recently, the University of Chicago’s Dean of Students, John Ellison, released a statement addressing the incoming freshmen class reiterating that the university does not support safe spaces or trigger warnings. According to Fox News, the letter states, “Our commitment to academic freedom means that we do not support so-called “trigger warnings,” we do not cancel invited speakers because their topics might prove controversial, and we do not condone the creation of intellectual “safe spaces” where individuals can retreat from ideas and perspectives at odds with their own.”
This created a whirlwind of discussion, especially through comments and shares of Facebook posts. A few users agreed with the statement that supported the idea that college is a time that students should not censor themselves and should be open for respectable debate, while others were appalled of the insensitivity towards their new students.
Regardless of the opinions, this is an on going debate in our country among many other universities. This is a freedom of speech issue, which means there is no way to justify the opposing opinions since it’s all within the law. America is a country that is built on differences. We accept and should tolerate people of all races and different background and beliefs, as it’s apparent that everyone is diverse.
Microaggressions, by dictionary.com, can be defined as “a subtle but offensive comment or action directed at a minority or other non-dominant group that is often unintentional or unconsciously reinforces a stereotype.” In other words, it’s any subject matter that may cause a negative emotional response.
How does this relate to college classes? If a professor wants to talk about a certain subject matter for educational purposes, a few subjects may have a higher tendency to cause a negative emotional response. For example, when discussing the recent Black Lives Matters movement and events, it may trigger a student to feel strong negative emotions, especially if that student was personally affected.
A safe space/calming room is a place that students can physically enter and debrief if something emotional impacted them. Should college campuses have a room for an emotional response? Most universities have some type of health wellness center that can include counseling services, but should universities take it further with a required room?
College students are stressed out. There are many pressures from universities, from parents, to the personal pressures students put on themselves to be successful which causes many students to have anxiety. Anxiety in itself could lead to negative emotional responses, and to have universities refuse to acknowledge the on-growing issue could potentially cause a decrease with student affairs.
Where do we draw the line? What do we censor and how do we prevent microaggressions while maintaining political discussion? Or do we even attempt to prevent microaggressions? Many universities are faced with these questions and setting their own individual standards.
